Photographs and notes made by Joseph Cramer documenting archeological work of Oscar T. Lewis. They include images of bone, ivory, and stone tools and human skeletal remains, collected by Oscar T. Lewis on the southeast side of Shemya Island, Semichi Island Group of the Aleutian Islands.
Biographical/Historical note:
Oscar T. Lewis was a self-taught archeologist who worked as foreman on excavations in the United States. He was foreman of the Works Project Administration excavation of Pictograph Cave and Glendive in the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, Lewis worked in the 1940s as foreman during the construction of a filtration plant at the United States Air Force base on the southeast shore of Semya Island, Aleutian Islands. When the construction exposed an archeological site, Lewis conducted preliminary excavations. In 1953, Lewis gave his collection of artifacts to his friend, Joseph Cramer, a mining geologist interested archeology and American Indians. Lewis died in 1963.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 92-11, USNM ACC 390872
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Pictured specimens and others collected by Oscar T. Lewis held in the Department of Anthropology collections in accession 390872.
The Museum of the Rockies in Montana holds the Joseph L. Cramer and Oscar T. Lewis Collection of artifacts found in Eastern Montana.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Photo Lot 92-11, Joseph Cramer photographs of Aleutian Island archeological specimens collected by Oscar T. Lewis, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
